Send SMS Messages with Alexa — Amazon.com Help

The new SMS support changes that by enabling Alexa to send a text-based message to any contact in the user's phone regardless of whether they support Alexa messaging.

The feature builds upon the previously launched Alexa messaging feature.

The new feature only works for Alexa users with an Android device that also have the Alexa app installed.

In order to use the SMS feature, one needs to follow the instructions which appear on a pop-up in the Alexa app. First, you'll need to download the latest version of the Alexa app from the Google Play Store if you don't already have it installed. Alexa app users can open the app's Conversations Tab, choose Contacts, and then My Profile to toggle the Send SMS ability on, as well.

This feature is now only available on Android devices.

According to Amazon, the reason that the service is only available to Android users is that Apple does not offer their messaging API to third parties. Now it is pretty clear why Amazon was interested in having an access to your contacts. For example, in the USA, users can make free voice calls and messages to Alexa-enabled devices, but that's not the case for Indian users. The caveat here is that the feature worked only when the caller and the receiver had Echo devices.

Alexa devices gain SMS functionality in the latest update. At the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, Google launched Smart Displays - new lineups of screen-equipped, Google Assistant-powered speakers by LG, Sony, and others created to rival Amazon's Echo Show and Echo Spot. Estimates peg the Amazon's United States market share of smart speakers anywhere between 70% and 76%.